Kremlin-backed Russia Today have been busy pushing Putin’s line on fracking, promoting green useful idiots to ensure that Europe remains reliant on Russian gas. The strategic interests of Russia make Putin and the Greens allies:

Natural gas has made fuel in America cheaper and greener, and more energy independent. Putin fears that if the UK were to follow the same path, energy prices would fall and his stranglehold on European supply would weaken,,,

Analysis by the respected international think tank the Alliance for Securing Democracy has found that Jeremy Corbyn is being backed by an army of Russian linked Twitter accounts. The alliance, whose esteemed bipartisan advisory council includes former world leaders as well as cabinet secretaries from the Obama and Bush administrations, tracks Russian influence operations on Twitter.

Of all the trends among Twitter accounts known to be linked to Russian state over the last 48 hours, by far and away the highest social media influence priority was pushing the #WeAreCorbyn hashtag.

Juncker offers Putin “congratulations on your re-election” and says “I wish you every success”. So much for that international solidarity with Britain against Russia. Penny for your thoughts, Remainers…

Seumas Milne defended the Kremlin in his Guardian column after the assassination of a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin which the deceased man’s colleagues and family said was politically motivated. In Feburary 2015 opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was murdered while walking near the Kremlin with his girlfriend. Yeltsin’s former Deputy Prime Minister was shot six times with a 9mm pistol. A month later Milne wrote:

“The Russian president has, of course, been blamed for the killing, though that makes little sense. Nemtsov was a marginal figure whose role in the “catastroika” of the 1990s scarcely endeared him to ordinary Russians. Responsibility for an outrage that exposed the lack of security in the heart of Moscow and was certain to damage the president hardly seems likely to lie with Putin or his supporters.”

This was not the conclusion of the deceased Nemtsov’s colleagues and family. Nemtsov’s friend and fellow opposition activist Leonid Martynyuk said : “I am certain that the Russian government is behind the murder of Nemtsov.” World chess champion and Putin critic Gary Kasparov told reporters: “Putin must be held responsible for the murder of Boris.” Politico, and other international outlets ran pieces carrying claims that the murder was politically motivated.

Last summer five men were jailed for the murder after a controversial trial. The Nemtsov’s family lawyer told journalists:

“We can’t say we’re satisfied with the verdict. We would be happy if the murder hadn’t happened. But the main thing is neither the organisers nor those who ordered [the killing] have been found.”

Whatever happened, when a critic of Putin was shot feet from the Kremlin, Seumas was there to defend Vlad in the British press…

At the Kremlin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin settles into his golden throne to watch Prime Minister’s Questions and the accompanying statement. As a jack-booted servant flicks over from Russia Today, Vlad wonders aloud: “Who’s the thin old beardy bloke in the red tie?”

“That’s Jeremy Corbyn”, replies the trembling aide. “Who?” demands Putin, never more than a moment from a nuclear-level rage, or worse, offering to make an adviser’s tea. “You know, Mr President. Codename COB…”

The almond-eyed tyrant purses his lips then raises a smile. An FSB man never forgets a codename.

Jeremy Corbyn’s response to the Russia spy poisoning crisis is being used by Putin’s state media to counter the British government’s position. Corbyn’s statement to parliament yesterday is set against Theresa May’s in this write-up by TV Zvezda, a Russian army media outlet run by Putin’s Ministry of Defence:

“Earlier, British Prime Minister Teresa May said that Russia was allegedly involved in the poisoning of Skripal. However, she did not bring any more weighty arguments and evidence in favor of her position, but she traditionally promised new anti-Russian sanctions.

“The UK needs dialogue with Russia on all controversial issues.This statement was made by Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn during his speech in parliament. “We need to continue to seek a sound dialogue with Russia on all issues that our countries share, not just cutting off contacts and allowing tensions to grow,” Corbyn said.

“In addition, the politician called for an analysis of all the data obtained and to clarify the level of threat posed by the attack.”

The piece is headlined: “The leader of the British Labour Party calls for dialogue with Russia”…

“The Conservatives greeted Corbyn with a disapproving rumble. The leader of the Labour Party had to stop several times and begin the phrases from the beginning. At the same time Corbyn rebuked the Conservatives for accepting donations from people who had made money dishonestly in Russia.”

In this article headlined “What happened to English politeness?” which appeared in Komsomolskaya Pravda, formerly an official newspaper of the Soviet Union, Emily Thornberry is singled out for special praise:

“In general, the negative plans are huge. Strengthen economic sanctions, encircle Russia even more closely with military bases, tighten the rules for entry into the UK for our citizens, freeze many of their accounts in British banks, expel Russian diplomats…

“I do not regret the place for the words of the famous politician from the Labour Party (main opposition) party, Emily Thornberry: “We need to strive for a healthy dialogue with Russia on issues that are shared by our countries, rather than severing contacts and further exacerbating tensions.”

At first Guido thought Theresa May’s words in the City last night were a a warning to the ultra-Remainers trying to sabotage the democratic will of the people for Brexit. Turns out she was warning that other enemy of free democracy – Putin.

“Prostitution is an ugly social phenomenon. But people who order such fakes which are now used against the elected President of the United States , fabricate information and use it in the political struggle, they are worse than prostitutes, they have no moral limits…

Our security services do not chase every US billionaire. Trump has been with the most beautiful women in the world, so why would he need prostitutes in Moscow? He organised beauty contests. It’s unlikely he met with young women with such a low social responsibility. Although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world.”

Shameless Nick Clegg has trousered a massive £30,000 payment from an official ‘friend of Putin’ whose company is based in an offshore tax haven. Clegg received the bung from Frederik Paulsen, the billionaire chairman of drugs firm Ferring Pharmaceuticals. As you can see above, Paulsen was personally awarded an “Order of Friendship” medal by Putin himself. The Vlad acolyte has poured huge amounts of cash into Russia, has been given a gong by the Russian Foreign ministry, and is an honorary Russian citizen. Not only that, his company is ultimately controlled from Curacao, a Caribbean tax haven…

Clegg has of course accused the Leave campaign of siding with Putin. Top level hypocrisy – at the same time he is happy to line his pockets with a huge wedge from one of Putin’s mates…

Boris Johnson suffered a rather telling Freudian slip talking to LBC’s Theo Usherwood today, where he referred to the Labour leader as “Jeremy Putin”. Boris quickly corrected himself before explaining that he confused them because they’re “interchangeable old Stalinists”. Guido thought Corbyn’s “Senior Labour Source” was the Stalinist…

Quote of the Day

“I have worked with him when he was Foreign Secretary. I will work with whoever the Prime Minister is. I haven’t had a phone call yet to ask me to run his campaign in Scotland. I am not expecting the call. But I will genuinely judge him on the same criteria as I judge any of the candidates.”